A fire that started in the ceiling of 8 Prospect Place Friday damaged the ceiling, carpets and walls of the new building, Political Science chairman Ian Shapiro said Sunday. The fire came just one day after 8 Prospect Place was inaugurated as the swing space for the Political Science Department.

The fire began in the ceiling of the building, causing the tiles to melt and drip onto the new carpet. The smoke from the fire caused significant damage to the walls.

“The construction firm left some combustible material in one of the heating units when they installed it,” Shapiro said.

The fire department responded to the call quickly and put the fire out.

Other heating units in the building were stripped down and checked for similar defects, but none were found, Shapiro said. He said a crew worked to repair the building Saturday. Because of smoke damage, the lobby of the building was also repainted.

Shapiro said the building reopened to professors Sunday and will be back in use for classes today.

“Except for a few burn marks on the carpet, you wouldn’t know there was a fire,” Shapiro said.

–Jessamyn Blau